Anybody bowhunted Arizona OTC mule deer? I'm reading the AZFD site and searching Google Earth trying to narrow down where i'll hunt in December and scout this summer. Any suggestions? Thanks and Gig Em.

You better be scouting now. This Summer you'll be scouting from your truck in the AC!

You've got plenty of options. Last January I drove to Alpine, AZ, bought my tag and then drove south through the timber and mountains to get to the desert near Duncan. Tons of public land. Great access and opportunity. I'll be back in AZ this season.

This was a thing several years ago, but several years of interwebs promotion has caused discontent among most of if not all who were in on the new thing.

If it's not ruined already, it shall be soon.

Sounds like someone's cranking up early on the beginning of a very long and bad day.

SanAntoneAg said:

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This was a thing several years ago, but several years of interwebs promotion has caused discontent among most of if not all who were in on the new thing.

If it's not ruined already, it shall be soon.

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I see your point. When you first started hunting this area, how big were the deer? Stupid intewebs ruin all the good fun.

LEJ said:

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You've got plenty of options. Last January I drove to Alpine, AZ, bought my tag and then drove south through the timber and mountains to get to the desert near Duncan. Tons of public land. Great access and opportunity. I'll be back in AZ this season.

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Thanks.

I keep reading great things about that part of the state, but those units arent open when i'm off of work/school. I'm trying to hit the late December rut or pre-rut in the area around Prescott/Williams.

How did you do on your hunt? Any arrows released?

Pic above is not too far south of Alpine

Only stayed 1 night and about a full day. Beautiful country but I Just couldn't turn up much sign or hardly any deer.

I was jonesing for the desert anyway so I packed up and headed to Duncan.



Pic above is Near Duncan. You can see a few in center pic. There were over 20.

Got on deer every day. Chased 1 really good buck for a couple days and got within 150 yards a couple times but just couldn't make it happen.

IME, in AZ and NM, the desert bucks responded well to a Heads Up Buck Decoy... during the rut.

ghenson82 said:

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LEJ said:

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You've got plenty of options. Last January I drove to Alpine, AZ, bought my tag and then drove south through the timber and mountains to get to the desert near Duncan. Tons of public land. Great access and opportunity. I'll be back in AZ this season.

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Thanks.

I keep reading great things about that part of the state, but those units arent open when i'm off of work/school. I'm trying to hit the late December rut or pre-rut in the area around Prescott/Williams.

How did you do on your hunt? Any arrows released?

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Can't say for sure on the archery, but AZ is a draw system - you put in for your tags and pick your first, second and third choices of units and times. When you are drawn, you get notified of what unit and what time frame you get to hunt.

I hunted mulies in Units 20A and 20C, but was never able to bag a deer. Saw a few the day after my hunt ended, which is pretty typical it seems. Rough country, but hell for fun hunts.

AZ has tons of OTC Archery opportunity and access... an incredible amount actually

LEJ said:

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AZ has tons of OTC Archery opportunity and access... an incredible amount actually

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Interesting, honestly did not know their archery system was different than the standard draw system that is implemented for big game. Never got into archery hunting.

schmellba99 said:

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LEJ said:

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AZ has tons of OTC Archery opportunity and access... an incredible amount actually

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Interesting, honestly did not know their archery system was different than the standard draw system that is implemented for big game. Never got into archery hunting.

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The archery draw hunts are for the coveted Strip and Kaibab etc but are only open during football season, so even if I got drawn, I couldnt go.

How did you like 20C?

There are still limited draw tags for archery, just as with other methods of take.

ghenson82 said:

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schmellba99 said:

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LEJ said:

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AZ has tons of OTC Archery opportunity and access... an incredible amount actually

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Interesting, honestly did not know their archery system was different than the standard draw system that is implemented for big game. Never got into archery hunting.

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The archery draw hunts are for the coveted Strip and Kaibab etc but are only open during football season, so even if I got drawn, I couldnt go.

How did you like 20C?

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20C is rough country - combination of scrub high desert and canyons and cactus in the lower areas. We about froze to death the last time I hunted there when a cold front blew in that ended up dropping the temps into the single digits that night that nobody anticipated.

Some guys not far from us took a couple of deer - buck and a doe if memory serves. We found signs all over the place, but never put eyes on anything other than javelina. Lots of walking, lots of glassing, but no joy on shooting opportunities for us.

There are deer out there, but they aren't high density.

Gracias. How about the Prescott or Williams area (Unit 8, 10, or 19B)?

There are no mule deer in AZ, and especially not during the OTC archery seasons.

(I hope to be back in January.)

Post a pic. Tell the story. It's Friday and the Season's just around the corner

ghenson82 said:

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Gracias. How about the Prescott or Williams area (Unit 8, 10, or 19B)?

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Or 22?

Mazatzal Wilderness is in 22, right?

I got some old info on that, I think.

Might take me a weekend to find it. I scribbled it down on paper a few years ago but I'm certain I have it in my possession.... somewhere.

At any rate, Mazatzal Wilderness is on my list from what I recall from researching it back then. Mt Ord, Sheep's Bridge, Payson... randoms tidbits coming back to me.

LEJ said:

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Mazatzal Wilderness is in 22, right?

I got some old info on that, I think.

Might take me a weekend to find it. I scribbled it down on paper a few years ago but I'm certain I have it in my possession.... somewhere.

At any rate, Mazatzal Wilderness is on my list from what I recall from researching it back then. Mt Ord, Sheep's Bridge, Payson... randoms tidbits coming back to me.

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I'd love to hear what you thought when you find your notes. Thank you sir

Got an email address?

LEJ said:

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Got an email address?

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Yes sir
garrett.henson82@gmail.com

Got it

LEJ said:

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Post a pic. Tell the story. It's Friday and the Season's just around the corner

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It's Tuesday, sorry I'm late...

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/2826400

That ain't no pic. I gotta click on it.

I reread The Whole thing. Damn, I'm ready for some Mountain Liver!

Email sent

AgEng06 said:

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There are no mule deer in AZ, and especially not during the OTC archery seasons.

(I hope to be back in January.)

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AnEng06, are you planning a scouting trip this summer? Do you mind emailing me? garrett.henson82@gmail.com. Thanks

TTT

Oops, I forgot about this. Email sent.